There are some things which we, as humans, do
not think of as poisons. However, canine metabolism and body
chemistry is different from ours. Some things which are totally
innocuous to us are harmful or fatal to dogs. The following are a few
things to be aware of. Here are a couple of sites that list some of
the household poisons that you might run into.

You should also keep the telephone number for
the National Animal Poison Control Center handy. The phone numbers
are 800-548-2423 or
900-680-0000. They charge for this service but
the life of your animal may hang in the balance. Here is the URL for
their web site.

Tylenol, or any form of
acetaminophen, is not tolerated well by dogs. Tylenol has been
associated with Liver problems and Advil
(Ibuprofen) can cause ulcers even in small
doeses. If your dog needs a pain reliever discuss it with your vet
first as there are conditions in which giving a pain reliever may not
be advisable. For those times that it is safe, our Vet has
recommended the use of aspirin or Ascriptin A/D which is aspirin and
Malox. When giving aspirin, use a child's dose and follow it with
water.

Automotive antifreeze is
extremely toxic to dogs and humans. A tablespoon can kill a Golden
sized dog. Unfortunately, antifreeze tastes very sweet, sort of like
saccharine, and dogs find it very appealing.

Lead based paints are
mostly gone from our homes, however, older homes may have it lurking
as an old coat on the woodwork. A dog which chews the woodwork could
ingest quite a bit of lead. Furthermore, lead can be found in solder
used for electronics or plumbing, curtain weights, fishing sinkers,
shotgun shells, air rifle pellets and other ammunition.

Cigarette butts contain
a large amount of the toxins from the entire cigarette in
concentrated form. Even if you smoke, the dog has not developed any
tolerance for nicotine and one or two cigarette butts or filters
could kill him.

Apple cores, seeded grapes, cherries, peaches
and other fruit with seeds. Fruit seeds often contain a small amount
of arsenic. Humans who eat fruit do not usually eat the seeds or pits
and when they do, they do not chew them. We quickly build up a
tolerance for the small amount of arsenic that we absorb this way.
Dogs, however, eat the entire fruit, skin, meat and stone.
Furthermore, they typically chew the pits and seeds which allows the
arsenic to be released much more quickly. This can easily result in a
great deal of distress to the dog and can even be fatal.

We are not veterinarians and
any information provided on these pages is for educational purposes
only. Any decisions with regard the care or treatment of your own
pets must be made in consultation with appropriate medical
professionals. In accessing these pages you agree to hold the website
administrator/owner harmless.

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